Royal Navy Has Seized Cocaine Worth £40m From Caribbean Drug Smugglers

The Royal Navy has said, a British warship has seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40m from drug traffickers in the Caribbean.

Earlier this month, HMS Trent seized half a tonne (506kg) of Class A drugs after intercepting a speedboat suspected of smuggling cocaine about 120 nautical miles (138 miles/222km) south of the Dominican Republic.

Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard boarded the smugglers’ boat with support from a US maritime patrol aircraft flying overhead.

The smugglers threw their cargo overboard, but all contraband was seized and the three smugglers, along with the drugs, were handed over to US authorities for prosecution.

“This successful operation with our US partners demonstrates HMS Trent’s ability to support smuggling operations in the Caribbean,” said Trent’s ship commander, Lt. Col. Tim Langford.

“Every member of my team can be proud of this sixth significant capture this year.”

The Royal Navy said in a statement that the latest seizure underscored its “vital role in maintaining maritime security and adhering to international law at home and abroad.”

“HMS Trent, working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Interagency Task Force (South) as part of the multinational effort in 2024, seized 6,995 kilograms of drugs,” the statement added.

The Navy said the ship will remain in the Caribbean during the hurricane season (June to November) “to disrupt the flow of illicit cargo through the region”.

Defense Secretary Luke Pollard said: “We are sending a clear message to drug traffickers: No place is safe and we will disrupt their activities anywhere in the world.”